Erica Schwartz confirmed as CDC director after year-long leadership void

Senate confirmed Erica Schwartz, a public-health veteran and vaccine supporter, as the new head of the CDC.

She takes over an agency that has operated without a permanent director for almost a year after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the previous CDC chief, Susan Monarez, in 2025.

Senators questioned whether Schwartz could resist political pressure and restore confidence, and she was confirmed by a narrow 51-44 vote, largely along party lines.

Observers note that Schwartz faces the challenge of rebuilding trust in the CDC amid layoffs and ongoing skepticism fueled by Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance.